Rape in the name of virgin worship. The story of an unfinished film.

The vamachari cult of Assam was in full form up to the fall of Ahom kingdom.The illicit practices performed in the name of religion had been cordoned off by the people of progressive genre.I am elaborating a story on the subject through this article. This story was filmed in 2003 casting Malaya Guswami, Nipon Guswami, Abdul Mazid,Dulal Roy,Indra Baniya,Dinesh Das and Jayanta Bhagawati but it remains unfinished due to the fall of Assamese film industry for chauvinistic terrorist activities.

Prologue.

In the days of yore a system of Hindu philosophy showed the path of salvation of the soul through worshiping the genital part of a living beautiful woman. The cult was known as VAMACHARI ( the left hand worshiper.) It was first initiated by the great saint Vaishista Muni in the North East India. The Vamachari worship was performed through five `M` practices. Five `M` means Madya (wine) , Mangsa (Flesh ), Matchya ( Fish), Mudra (Posture) and Maithuna (Sexual intercourse). The companionship of a woman was the prime requisite of a Vamachari devotee. When women were not available for the said purpose they were procured by money or by force. The devotee used to treat the Goddess as virgin so the woman selected to worship as virgin, offered wine, flashes and such other things in time of worship. The word virgin does not convey the modern meaning of chaste and unspotted, it means unwed, and thus free from anybody`s control.

Methodology and salvation.

In time of worship the devotee (Priest.) contemplate in the genital part of the beautiful naked woman like the newly risen sun and then think that his own body as being fully assimilated to the woman`s body. It was believed that if in the process of worship the devotee gets stricken with amour he goes to heaven.(Yadi Kami Bhabet Kuhopi Baikuntham Paramang Brajet - Yogini Tantram). So after worshiping the genital part of the beautiful naked woman along with other parts of the body gross sensuality were enjoyed. Through the ravishment the devotee atoned himself for salvation. It is a shocking religious practice for the people of modern taste. However these types of religious practices were continued up to the last part of 1700 AD Assam quite secretly.

Story of the unfinished film.

Gauri`s life and birth of her child Tulsi.

The virgin Gauri was a temple woman. She gave birth of a female child Tulsi through the so-called temple`s holy sensuality. Mr. Boruah was the undeclared father of Tulsi. Gauri`s female beauty and attraction were permanently eroded by the Rajbixoya Boruah ( a royal post conferred by the king) because he used her as concubine through a secret agreement with the Priest. The unsocial sexuality with the temple virgin was patronized by the Chief Priest through which the powerful officers enjoyed the opportunities and the Priest became powerful taking them in his background. When Gauri lost her all sorts of amorous temperament, her impotence in the temple became detracted. So the temple Priest discarded her rights of living as a temple woman for which she was compelled to go out of the temple with her small daughter Tulsi. Kanchan and Prova followed her because they also faced the same fate with Gauri and continued a destitute life.

Debonair Tulsi and heed of the Priest.

When Gauri`s daughter Tulsi became full bloom of youth the priest heeded to her beauty with a desire of bringing her as a virgin. He ordered Gauri to send her daughter Tulsi to the temple for worshiping her as a virgin. Gauri was not interested for sending her daughter Tulsi because of her life`s bitter experience and abhorrence. So she prayed to Rajbixoya Baruah to save Tulsi but Mr. Baruah expressed his incapability instead of helping her. At last the poor mother Gauri was compelled to send her daughter to the temple in spite of her abomination for the cult. She relinquished all her rights to the priest and thus the Priest became the sole possessor of Tulsi.

Prelude and performance of the Puja (worship.)

Arrangement of puja (Worship) festival was made according to the customary practices. Tulsi was unclothed by the other virgin of the temple and altered for worship. The Priest with his disciple taught her the doctrine of five `M` offering her fish, flesh, wine and such other things and explained to her that the feelings of obscenity should be abated totally in such a Puja (worship). Because worship of Lord Shiva is performed through his phallus and mother Kamakhya through her genital part. But worship of the gross material objects were not of action then worship the genital organ of a living beautiful woman. The Priest also told her that all sorts of sexual intercourse should be devoted for satisfaction of the Goddess. Making a reference to the KALIKA PURANA he said that it has been giving something like canonical sanction to all kinds of (Promiscuous and Incestuous) sexual confluence. These are should not be treated as aberration. When Tulsi became fully intoxicated the Priest started worship and at last the Priest raped Tulsi after the so-called virgin worship which was followed by his masochist disciple for the whole night in the uproars of drum beats which is known as Jai Dhol ( Big size drum).

Tulsi`s stand against outrageous practices of religion.

In the next day Tulsi comprehended the retrogression of people in the name of religion. So she shouted with indignation for decapitation of the Priest for his indulgence in illicit practices and degradation of the religious rites. All virgins were fled away from the temple observing her unyielding simmering state of rage. The Priest`s effort of controlling her became worthless. Tulsi went out of the temple discarding the temple`s customs and focused all internal unlawful temple`s practices to the common people. At first the people were perplexed by her behavior and incredible statements. But they regained the capability of searching truth and came forward to support Tulsi. Lavonya the socially recognized daughter of Mr. Baruah extended the moral support to the agitation of Tulsi. So she advised Gauri and Tulsi to left their village to save them from the Priest`s vengeance.

Tulsi and Gauri under the protection of Vaishnavite religion.

According to the advice of Lavonya they fled away to a new place where they got asylum through a Vaishnaviite Abbot. Ghanakanta arranged everything for the shelter of Gauri and Tulsi as ordered by the Vaishnavite Abbot. But after a few days Ghanakanta the Vaishnavite devotee (the protector of Tulsi and Gauri) had stricken with amour. He engaged himself to motivate Gauri for his secret companionship. On the other hand a group of young men were enraptured by Tulsi`s beauty. These people were known as Kewoliya Bhakat unmarried Vaishnavite devotee. One day they took the ultimate step which enraged Tulsi as before. She challenged the group and for fear of public punishment they refrained from the step. Tamuli watched the indecent behavior of the young group without being perceived by them. He immediately informed the incident in detail to the Abbot. The group was penalized, tonsured and atoned according to the Vaishnavite customary law.

Back to the pavilion and final adieu.

Tulsi and Gauri returned to their old place without informing the Abbot because the possibilities of facing the retaliation of the young group in any moment could not be denied. In the mean time the imperious Priest was busy with the arrangement of sacrificing one thousand animals for satisfaction of the Goddess. He also managed a girl purchasing from a nearby village for virgin worship. Because Tulsi disseminated the traditional secrecy to all which dissatisfied the Goddess. By this time a strata of society became aware and educated from the instance of Tulsi and opposed the system. Kanchan, Prova and Lavonya made a plan to resist the effort of the Priest. After coming from the new place Tulsi and Gauri joined them and the girl which was purchased for virgin worship by the Priest had been secretly taken away from the temple to an unknown shelter and thus they resisted the Priest`s mission. The Priest understood that the reenactment of virgin worship would not be practicable because of Tulsi`s stand as barrier. So he commanded his obedient Rajbixoya Phukan (a powerful royal post conferred by the king) to execute Tulsi. At first the officer refused to act as ordered but because of the Priest`s conspiracy Rajbixoya Phukan compelled to deploy three murderers for execution of Tulsi.

Epilogue.

Though Tulsi departed for heavenly abode but the cult of virgin worship could not resumed their practices, which has been continuing till today. Tulsi sacrificed her life unveiling a new horizon of culture to the world through the people of North East India. She also lessoned the people regarding the permanent victory of humanity against inhumanity. This story of Tulsi was told by the retired head master and well known scholar Mr. Nigama Bhattacharjee to Miss Kavery Kachari with a view to furnish data for her research work. Tulsi came to Nigama`s house to collect data on women`s status in the Assamese society of 1700 AD. Because her subject of research was Traditional tortures and atrocities on women and path of emancipation with special reference to the 1700 AD Assam.

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